A Focus On Fitness: Challenging Kids And CEOs Alike

Dave Neison, Andrew Peace, Richard Swope, Jeanne Bibelhauser and Todd Bibelhauser. Neison, Peace and the Bibelhausers will compete as part of the Sam Swope Fiat and Sam Swope Fiat Abarth teams in the Sam Swope Fiat Corporate Challenge, a component of the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon. Richard Swope will ride in the Fiat serving as the official pace car of the race.

Promoting healthy competition within the company has paid well for Chrysalis Ventures, which took home both first and second place at last year’s Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) Corporate Challenge, part of the annual fall half-marathon event.

Back for a second taste of victory, Chrysalis Ventures, which manages one of Mid-America’s largest funds for early-stage and growth investments, will head to the starting line at the KFC Yum! Center on Nov. 3, hoping to keep the Team Trophy safely inside its office located off Main Street.

With its emphasis on physical activity, Chrysalis Ventures has kept its employees well-conditioned, sponsoring them in races, such as the Papa John’s 10 Miler and the Warrior Dash 5K. “Part of what we do is we invest in health care and health care technology, so the mantra is kind of walk the walk,” said Derek Fricke, a member of Chrysalis Ventures’ Corporate Challenge team. “So any time you want to run a race, run a marathon, participate in any sort of healthy activity, Chrysalis will back (it).”

Members of the Chrysalis Ventures team: Derek Fricke, Kelby Price and Jeremy Burtel. Price is holding the first place trophy from last year’s Corporate Challenge, part of the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon event.

Fielding one team this year, Chrysalis Ventures will have a tougher road to first place with nearly twice as many team entrees racing in Saturday’s Corporate Challenge. Among the friendly competition is Sam Swope Fiat, the Corporate Challenge sponsor, and the Sam Swope Fiat Abarth team, both of which quickly assembled in August.

“(The Sam Swope company) sent (an email) out to all of our associates, and it was interesting, these six folks responded within two hours of sending the email, so they were very eager,” said Richard Swope, business manager at Sam Swope Auto Group.

Though Richard competed in the race last year, he’ll take a smoother ride down the 13.1-mile course on Saturday, sitting inside a Fiat, which will serve as the official pace car. As part of the sponsorship, Sam Swope Fiat will also showcase a few of the Italian-made vehicles at the Belvedere for the post-race party.

To determine the winner of the Corporate Challenge, the three fastest times of each maximum five-member team will be tallied. Last November, Chrysalis Ventures’ A Team finished first in a total time of 4:30:05.10, and the B Team took second with 5:19:15.82.

While the challenge amongst local companies is a fun-filled component of the LSC event, the individual half-marathon event and Louisville pure tap 5K are sure to bring plenty of excitement as well. The LSC is also adding a new incentive for children to become more active, through a sponsorship with the YMCA.

“Over the course of several weeks and even going as far as six weeks, kids will run a half-marathon, but they’ll do it in kid’s size chunks, one mile at a time,” said LSC Executive Director Karl Schmitt. “And then they will run the last 1.1 miles on our course. They’ll finish at our finish line with all the bells and whistles. … (It’s a) tremendous way for young people to get exercise, but on a consistent basis.”

With all that’s in store for Nov. 3, the LSC will provide Louisville with an unforgettable, fitness-filled experience and further fulfill its mission of increasing economic vitality, enhancing the quality of lives, promoting healthy lifestyles and branding Louisville as a great sports town. “(What I enjoy most is) the ability to deliver a great experience and a Louisville-focused experience for people because it takes people through one of our most scenic areas in Cherokee Park, goes right on the edge of Louisville,” said Schmitt. “And we have a great experience coming back on Main Street … and a view of downtown that you rarely get.”

The Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon presented by Humana Vitality will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, at the KFC Yum! Center. The course will wind its way through historic downtown, Cherokee Park and NuLu, and will finish at the Belvedere, where a post-race party will follow.

The Louisville pure tap 5K will start at 8 a.m. Registration is $20 and continues through race day.

LSC and Catholic Charities Help Newly Arrived Refugees

The Louisville Sports Commission and Catholic Charities will collaborate to help 850 refugees newly arrived to Louisville. Nov. 1 and 2, Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services will have a truck at Slugger Field during the LSC Half Marathon and the Louisville pure tap 5K packet pick-up. Registered runners and walkers are being asked to donate winter coats and blankets, as well as other winter items (such as gloves, hats and scarves) for refugees. Warm clothing and blankets should be new or gently used and are needed for all ages and both sexes. Catholic Charities will also be at the Louisville Sports Commission’s post-race event on the Belvedere on Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. until noon where they will continue to accept donations.

About the Author

[gravatar email="aanderson@voice-tribune.com" size="60" alt="Ashley Anderson" class="user-picture"]
Ashley spends half her time writing stories at The Voice-Tribune office and half her time out on the town conducting interviews, while occasionally dressing in wild outfits to fully immerse herself in the experience (aka Princess Leia at Comic Con). Ashley is a huge UofL fan and loves the Yankees and the Boston Celtics (she is fully aware of the irony). She hopes to one day outshine Erin Andrews on ESPN and enjoys running, Bardstown Road/Fourth Street, Breaking Bad and reality TV (she’s not ashamed to admit that).